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A. The name of this organization shall be Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration (The Society).

B. The Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration (SEPI) is an international, interdisciplinary organization whose aim is to promote the exploration and development of approaches to psychotherapy that integrate across theoretical orientations and to encourage collaboration between researchers and clinicians.

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES

A. There shall be two (3) categories of membership in the Society: Fellow, Member, and Student.

B. The minimum qualifications for election to the category of Member shall be an interest in the integration of psychotherapy across theoretical orientations and/or the integration of research and practice.

C. The minimum qualifications for election to the category of Student Member shall be an interest in integration and enrollment in an undergraduate or post-graduate academic institution.

D. The minimum qualification for election to the category of Fellow shall be a minimum of ten (10) years of SEPI membership, regular and/or student.

D. Applicants will become members of the Society in good standing upon acceptance of their application by the Administrative Officer and on payment of all currently applicable dues and fees.

E. Fellows, Members, and Student Members of the Society in good standing shall be entitled to attend and to participate in the meetings of the Society; to receive publications of the Society; and to serve on the committees of the Society; and to vote in regular and any special elections or on referenda. Fellows and Members of the Society are eligible to hold office.

F. Membership shall run on a calendar year (January 1 - December 31).

ARTICLE III: OFFICERS

A. The Officers of the Society shall be the President, the President-elect, the President-elect Designate, the immediate Past President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. They shall constitute the Executive Committee of the Society, shall be the only elected representatives of the Society, and all are entitled to vote on matters brought before the Committee. All Officers must be Members or Fellows of the Society.

B. The President shall be the Member or Fellow who has just completed a term as President-elect. The President shall succeed to office by declaration at the close of the year after election as President-elect and shall serve for one (1) year.The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society, shall be the Chair of the Executive Committee, and shall perform all other usual and customary duties of a presiding officer. The President shall cast a vote at meetings of the Executive Committee only when that vote would break a tie. No Member of the Society may run for the presidency of the Society while serving as president or past president.

C. The President-elect shall be the Member or Fellow who has just completed a one-year term as President-elect Designate, and shall perform the duties which are usual and customary for a president-elect. In the event that the President fails to serve his/her term for any reason whatsoever, the President-elect shall succeed to the unexpired remainder thereof and continue to serve through his/her own scheduled term.

D. The Past President of the Society shall be the Member or Fellow who is the most recently retired President of the Society. The Past President shall serve a one year term as a member of the Executive Committee and shall serve as a chair of the Committee on Nominations and Elections.

E. The President-elect Designate of the Society shall be elected for a term of one year, and shall succeed to President-elect, then President. The President-elect Designate shall serve as the member of the Committee on Nominations and Elections.

F. The Secretary shall be a Member or Fellow elected for a term of three (3) years. During that term, the Secretary shall be a member of, and serve as the secretary of the Executive Committee; shall safeguard all records of the Society; shall keep the minutes of the meetings of Society and of the Executive Committee; shall issue calls and notices of meetings; shall keep and maintain a book of the extant policies of the Society based upon actions of the Executive Committee; and shall perform all other usual and customary duties of a secretary.

G. The Treasurer shall be a Member or Fellow elected for a term of three (3) years. During that term, the Treasurer shall be a member of the Executive Committee; shall oversee custody of all funds and property of the Society; shall direct disbursements as provided under the terms of these Bylaws; shall oversee the preparation of an annual budget for consideration and adoption by the Executive Committee; shall make an annual financial report to the Society; and in general shall perform the usual and customary duties of a Treasurer. The Treasurer shall serve as a member of the Finance Committee.

H. The Officers, except for Treasurer and Secretary, shall assume their duties on January 1 of the calendar year and serve for one year following their election and shall maintain their offices until their successors are seated. The Treasurer’s and Secretary’s terms shall also begin on January 1 of a calendar year.

I. In the case of death, incapacity, or resignation of any officer except the President or Past President, the Executive Committee shall appoint as a replacement the individual who was the first eligible runner-up in the most recent election for that office to serve the remainder of the term. Should there be no eligible runner-up who is able or willing to serve, the Executive Committee will appoint another Society Member or Fellow in good standing who is willing and able to serve the remainder of the term.

J. The means for filling a vacancy in the office of President is specified in Article III, Section C of these Bylaws. In the case of death, incapacity, or resignation of the Past President, such vacancy shall remain through the balance of the year in which it occurs.

K. In addition to the duties of the individual officers, the duties of the Executive Committee as a governing body shall include:

Exercising general supervision over the affairs of the Society and the transaction of the necessary business of the Society, provided only that the actions of the Executive Committee shall not conflict with these Bylaws or with the recorded votes of the membership;

Establishing policies for the conduct of its own affairs and for the affairs of Society, provided that such policies are not in conflict with any of the terms of these Bylaws or any recorded votes of the membership;

Approving or rejecting the President 's appointment of chairs and members of standing committees, ad hoc committees, task forces, Society representatives or liaisons, and editors;

Overseeing the work of the Society’s Committees;

Reporting its activities to the members and recommending matters for consideration by the members;

Filling such vacancies in its own membership as so empowered under the terms of these Bylaws;

Adopting a final budget after appropriate review, and recommending or approving the disbursement of the Society’s funds and of amendments to the approved budget in accordance with Article VII of these Bylaws.

Supervising and evaluating the Administrative Officer.

L. The Executive Committee shall meet no less than four times per year, at times and dates to be determined by the Executive Committee. Additional meetings may be called by the President with the concurrence of a majority of the Executive Committee. Meetings via phone conference, web conference, or other medium as determined by the Executive Committee may take the place of in-person meetings.

M. A member of the Executive Committee may be removed from office and from his/her seat on the Executive Committee before the expiration of a scheduled term by an affirmative two-thirds (2/3) vote of the other members of the Executive Committee upon the call of the roll and the recording of the votes of those present at a meeting of the Executive Committee. Such removal can only be effected upon one or more of the following grounds: (1) a finding of dereliction in the performance of the duties of office; or (2) conviction of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude and the exhausting of any appeals therefrom.

N. Any member of the Society may place a matter of business before the Executive Committee by submitting it to the Secretary in writing, at least 48 hours before the date of an Executive Committee meeting. The President shall preside over Executive Committee meetings, and the Secretary shall act as a recording secretary. A majority of the voting members of the Executive Committee present shall constitute a quorum, following due notice of the meeting. Each member of the Executive Committee present at a meeting and entitled to vote shall have one such vote. All decisions of the Executive Committee shall require assent by a simple majority of those present and voting, except as otherwise noted in these Bylaws. The Executive Committee has the authority to decide upon the means to meet and the means to cast votes, to include in-person, electronic, telephone, or other media it deems appropriate.

ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS

A. The Society shall sponsor an array of scientific and professional presentations designed to promote collegial and scholarly interchange. These presentations, in the form of a conference, shall be offered at the time and place of the Executive Committee’s choosing and shall be coordinated through the Program Committee and the Local Organizing Committee as outlined in Article VIII, Section Hof these Bylaws.

B. The Executive Committee may hold an annual Open Membership Meeting at a time and place and format to be determined by the Executive Committee. The purpose of such Membership Meeting shall be to provide a report to the membership of Executive Committee actions and to exchange views by and between the membership and the Executive Committee about matters of mutual concern. Any member of the Society shall have the right of submitting a matter for the agenda of an Open Membership Meeting by directing the matter to the Secretary or his/her designee at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the scheduled meeting time. A majority of the voting members present shall constitute a quorum and no member may vote by proxy.

C. Other meetings of the Society may be called upon a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE V: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

A. There shall be a Committee on Nominations and Elections which shall be constituted annually and shall consist of the Immediate Past President as Chair, the President-elect Designate, and up to four (4) other Members or Fellows in good standing chosen from among the membership at large. The latter shall not themselves be members of the Executive Committee and shall serve a one-year term. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall be responsible for implementing the principles and the policies adopted by the Executive Committee that govern the holding of the elections of the Society, and for recruiting qualified candidates to run for positions on the Executive Committee.

B. Annually, the Committee on Nominations and Elections shall review the composition of the Executive Committee to determine available positions and to develop recommendations for slates that would: 1) ensure breadth of representation in the composition of the Executive Committee and 2) ensure a diverse field of candidates. The Committee on Nominations and Elections will submit the recommended slates to the Executive Committee for approval.

C. The Committee on Nominations and Elections shall distribute a nominating ballot to all Members, Fellows, and Student Members annually. The nominations ballot shall be accompanied by a statement notifying the members about the Society’s eligibility criteria for standing for election. Those criteria are:

Candidates for office must be Members or Fellows in good standing.

No member may be an incumbent of more than one elective office.

A member may only hold the same elective office for two successive terms except the office of president as stipulated in Article III Section B.

Incumbent members of the Executive Committee are eligible to accept nominations for another term in the same position, or for another position on the Executive Committee during their last year of service or after resignation from their existing office. A letter of resignation must be sent to the President with a copy to the Chair of the Committee on Nominations and Elections.

D. The nominations ballot shall be distributed to each member of the Society in a timely fashion through the mail or electronically, or via some other means to be determined by the Executive Committee. A ballot returned by a member may be returned in a manner deemed appropriate by the Committee on Nominations and Elections, to include email, mail, fax, or other media. Ballots must be returned by a deadline established by the Executive Committee but no later than 30 days from the date of distribution. Such count shall be conducted the Committee on Nominations and Elections or by persons delegated that responsibility by the Committee.

E. The name of any Member or Fellow who is eligible and who is willing to stand for election, and to serve the term of office if elected, shall be placed on the ballot for the appropriate office by the Committee on Nominations and Elections if that member is nominated for the office in question by at least fifty (50) Members or Fellows of the Society. Additional candidates as needed to complete the slates may be identified by nominations received from the members and may be nominated by the Committee to provide appropriate slates. When at least two candidates for each vacancy have been identified in such a fashion, the committee shall have completed this phase of their task.

F. It shall be a further responsibility of the Committee on Nominations and Elections to insure that all persons who have been nominated to stand for election and whose names are to appear on the ballot are eligible, willing to serve, familiar with the duties of the proposed office, and appropriately qualified. In addition, at the time the Committee secures the nominees' permission to place their names on the ballot, it shall request that each prepare a statement about his/her candidacy to be submitted to the Society’s membership for their review prior to voting.

G. By virtue of their positions on the committee, the members of the Committee on Nominations and Elections shall not themselves be eligible to be nominated for any office in the year in which they serve on the committee.

H. After the Committee on Nominations and Elections has reviewed all candidates and has prepared a slate of nominees for submission to the membership, the Chair of the Committee shall submit a report on the Committee’s actions to the Executive Committee for approval.

I. The Chair of the Committee on Nominations and Elections shall have responsibility for:

Overseeing the nominations process and ensuring it is consistent with the established policies of the Society and Executive Committee;

Notifying the Executive Committee and candidates of the approved slates of nominees;

Overseeing the elections process and ensuring it is consistent with the established policies of the Society and Executive Committee, including the development of the election ballot, the distribution of the ballot via media approved by the Executive Committee, establishing deadlines, and counting of the ballots;

Notifying the Executive Committee and candidates of the election results;

J. In the case of a protest brought by a Member or Fellow about the conduct of the nominations process or an election, the Executive Committee, at its discretion, may direct the Committee on Nominations and Elections to act as a hearing body and to make recommendations to the Executive Committee in response to the protest. Such recommendations from the committee to the Executive Committee shall be limited to confirmation of the results of the disputed nomination process or election or to a proposal that a new election for the disputed office be held. In the making of its recommendation, the committee shall provide the Executive Committee with its rationales. In formulating a final disposition of the protested nominations procedure or election, a vote by the Executive Committee shall be final.

K. Should the protest against the process of nominations or elections contain allegations of improper conduct on the part of the Committee on Nominations and Elections itself, then the President shall appoint an ad hoc Committee on Election Disputes composed of, at minimum, the Immediate Past President as chairperson, one member of the Society who holds no governance position, and a Past President of the Society. The ad hoc Committee on Election Disputes will make a recommendation to the Executive Committee on the disposition of the allegations. In formulating the final disposition of the allegations of improper conduct, a vote by the Executive Committee shall be final.

ARTICLE VI: REFERENDA

A. A referendum on any matter not inconsistent with these Bylaws and consistent with the stated goals and missions of SEPI may be forwarded to the Executive Committee by a petition signed by not less than 150of the voting members of the Society.

B. The Executive Committee shall delegate to the Secretary the responsibility for certifying that the petition that accompanies the subject referendum is in order and that its signatures are valid.

C. Upon certification by the Secretary, the Executive Committee shall direct the holding of a vote on the matter via a ballot format to be determined by the Executive Committee. The Secretary shall be responsible for distributing the ballot and voting instructions to each voting member within ninety (90) days of the certification that the referendum is in order. Ballots must be returned by a deadline established by the Executive Committee but no later than 30 days from the date of distribution. An affirmative vote by a majority of members voting shall be required to sustain the matter contained in the referendum.

ARTICLE VII: FINANCES

A. Membership dues shall be set by the Executive Committee each year and will be collected and disbursed by the Treasurer.

B. The assessment of any additional or special membership fees may be levied by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. Once established by the Executive Committee, an assessment shall remain in force each subsequent year unless modified by the Executive Committee. A request for such change may be initiated by any member of the Executive Committee

C. The Executive Committee, on recommendation of the Finance Committee, shall adopt, for the following calendar year, an annual balanced budget of anticipated income and expenditures. The Executive Committee, on the recommendation of the Finance Committee and the Treasurer, will establish policies for the management of the Society’s finances and investments.

D. Disbursements of the funds of the Society shall be made as follows:

The Executive Committee shall authorize disbursements within the amount of the approved budget for any and all purposes that are not inconsistent with the policies or Bylaws of the Society.

The Treasurer, with the concurrence of the Executive Committee, is authorized to reallocate unexpended funds from one category of the approved budget to another, provided only that the total approved expenses for the fiscal year are not exceeded.

Once a budget has been approved in accordance with Article VII, Section C of these Bylaws, disbursements of any amounts for items not contained in the approved budget for purposes harmonious with the aims of the Society may be subsequently authorized by the Executive Committee, provided only that such expenditures will not require an increase in the extant assessment during the fiscal year in which it shall be made.

E. The fiscal year of the Society shall commence on January 1 of the calendar year and end on December 31 of that same year.

F. The Treasurer and President are authorized to sign checks on behalf of the Society or to direct the disbursement of funds duly approved under the provisions of Article VII, Section C of these Bylaws. Additionally, with the approval of the Executive Committee, the Treasurer may delegate or authorize the signing of checks to other individuals on behalf of the Society.

G. Contracts and other financial instruments over $50,000, other than checks, that obligate the resources of the Society and that are necessary for undertaking programs approved by the Executive Committee in accordance with these Bylaws shall be executed by both the President and the Treasurer.

ARTICLE VIII: COMMITTEES

A. The committees of the Society shall consist of such standing committees as are provided in these Bylaws and of such ad hoc committees or task forces as shall be established by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee. Unless reconstituted for a subsequent year or years, the existence of an ad hoc committee, task force, or special interest group (SIG) shall terminate at the close of the year in which it has been established.

B. All committee meetings shall be open to all members of the Society except at such time as the committee may, by majority vote, declare an executive session for the purposes of discussing a matter of personnel or a legal consultation.

C. Each standing committee shall have a chair, appointed for one year by the President, with the approval of the Executive Committee. A President-elect may also make such appointments of committee chairs in advance, with the approval of the Executive Committee, to serve during the year in which he/she serves as President. A committee chair’s term of one (1) year begins and ends with the President’s term at the end of the calendar year. Except as otherwise specified in these Bylaws, committee membership shall include a chair, and other members who may be appointed by the chair with the approval of the president. Chairs may be reappointed for a subsequent term as chair. In the case of a vacancy occurring in a committee chair due to death, resignation, or incapacity, such vacancy shall be filled by the President.

D. In the conduct of committee business, the chair of the committee shall be responsible for notifying the members of the call for the meeting, for establishing the agenda therefore, and for serving as presiding officer. The chair shall cast a vote only to resolve a tie. A majority of the voting members of a committee present shall constitute a quorum, and unless specified elsewhere in these Bylaws, a majority vote of those committee members present and voting at a committee meeting shall be sufficient to pass a committee motion. No committee may commit Society funds or set Society policy without the approval of the Executive Committee.

E. All members of standing committees or of ad hoc committees or task forces must be Members, Fellows, or Student Members in good standing of the Society.

F. Committee members shall be appointed for terms of up to three (3) years by the President in consultation with the chair of the respective committee and with the approval of the Executive Committee. In the case of a vacancy occurring on a committee due to the death, resignation, or incapacity of a committee member such vacancy shall also be filled by the President.

G. The President and committee chairs shall consider, in making committee appointments, the Society’s commitment to diversity. As an international, interdisciplinary and integrative organization, the Society’s commitment to a diverse governance includes, but is not limited to, members of diverse countries, professional disciplines, theoretical orientations, and employment settings. The Society is also committed to recruiting and retaining governance members of diverse genders, race/ethnicities, sexual orientations, and other dimensions of personal identities.

H. Standing committees of The Society shall be:

1. Executive Committee, the composition and responsibilities of which are outlined in Article II, Section A and Section K of these Bylaws.

2. Communications and Publications Committee, which shall be composed of 3 to 6 Society members. The responsibilities of the Communications and Publications Committee shall be to: implement procedures and initiatives to facilitate communication among members of SEPI; keep members informed about activities of the organization; coordinate the operation of the Society’s publications and communications under the supervision of the Executive Committee; serve as the liaison between the editors (Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, web, listserv, and newsletter) and the Executive Committee; and, conduct public searches for incoming editors of journal, web, and newsletter and recommend finalists to the Executive Committee.

3. Research Committee, which shall be composed of 3 to 6 Society members, which may include student members. The responsibilities of the Research Committee shall be to: foster and encourage research on psychotherapy integration; to administer the Award Program; and to organize the Research Consultation Program in consultation with the Program Committee.

4. Practice Advocacy Committee, which shall be composed of 3 to 6 Society members, which may include student members. The responsibilities of the Practice Advocacy Committee shall be to: promote and enhance the practice of integrative psychotherapy throughout the world, including the integration of different orientations and of research and practice; administer the Practice Consultation Program in consultation with the Program Committee; and, at the direction of the Executive Committee, prepare and disseminate advocacy materials.

5. Education and Training Committee, which shall be composed of 3 to 6 Society members, which may include student members. The responsibilities of the Education and Training Committee shall be to: promote and enhance education related to psychotherapy integration; oversee periodic webinars and other educational activities of interest to the membership; maintain a web-based compilation of education and training programs in psychotherapy integration; and oversee any continuing education (CE) offerings.

6. Finance Committee, which shall be composed of 3 to 6 Society members. The Society’s Treasurer and Administrative Officer serve on the Finance Committee, ex officio and without vote. The responsibilities of the Finance Committee shall be to: monitor the fiscal condition and planning of the Society; recommend policies on budgets and investments; aid the Treasurer in the preparation of the annual budget; and respond to requests from the Treasurer and Executive Committee for financial advice and planning.

7. Membership Committee, which shall be composed of 3 to 6 Society members, which may include student members. The responsibilities of the Membership Committee shall be to: recruit qualified Fellows, Members, and Student Members; implement procedures to retain existing members; work with the Executive Committee to increase the Society’s visibility; maintain current list of Society members in conjunction with the Administrative Officer; promote student membership in the Society; and facilitate communication between Student Members and governance.

8. Program Committee, which shall be composed of 3 to 10 Society members, including the current program chair, past program chair(s), and the program chair for the next conference. The President Elect, Administrative Officer, Chair of Local Arrangements Committee, and Chair of Communications & Publications Committee shall also serve on the Program Committee, ex-officio and without vote. The responsibilities of the Program Committee shall be to: solicit and develop program content and activities; identify potential keynote speakers and workshop presenters; insure that timelines for completion of specific tasks are developed and met; prepare and disseminate information about the conference; and follow the set procedures established by the Executive Committee outlined in the Program Committee manual.

9. Local Arrangements Committee, which shall be composed of 3 to 10 Society members, including the current local arrangements chair and others whom that chair deems useful in fulfilling the tasks of the committee. The Administrative Officer, Chair of Program Committee, and Chair of Communications & Publications Committee shall also serve on the Local Arrangements Committee, ex-officio and without vote. The responsibilities of the Program Committee shall be to: develop supplemental activities for the conference; provide information and advice about the host city; assist with identifying venues for various conference activities; establish a network of local volunteers; and follow the set procedures established by the Executive Committee outlined in the Local Program Committee manual.

10. Regional Network Committee, which shall be composed of Society members, including all coordinators of approved Society regional networks. The responsibilities of the Regional Network Committee shall be to: coordinate existing regional networks; promote the creation of additional, viable regional networks; act as a liaison between the networks and Society committees; oversee the collection of relevant information on activities of the regional networks on an annual basis for abbreviated publication on the Society’s website; contribute to a list of potential Society members for the Membership Committee to contact; articulate with regional coordinators to ensure that they receive sufficient support and communication from the Society; and collaborate with the Program Committee to offer a meeting of current and potential Regional Network coordinators at the annual conference.

11. Nominations & Elections Committee, the composition, duties, and responsibilities of which are outlined in Article V of these Bylaws.

I. The Executive Committee may also authorize the formation of ad hoc committees, task forces, and special interest groups to help accomplish the aims and purposes of the Society. Each ad hoc committee or task force shall have a specific charge to be carried out over a specified period of time and shall be subject to an annual approval of the Executive Committee. The chairs and members of such ad hoc committees or task forces shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee. Should vacancies occur after their creation, these vacancies will be filled by the President.

J. Meetings and activities of standing committees, task forces, and ad hoc committees must be conducted within the constraints of the authorizations specified in the approved annual budget. Chairs of standing committees, ad hoc committees, and task forces may call meetings and set agendas for their respective committees.

K. In addition to its responsibilities for carrying out those duties specified in these Bylaws, each standing committee, ad hoc committee, and task force shall have the privilege of recommending procedures, policy changes, and/or amendments to these Bylaws to the Executive Committee.

L. It shall be the responsibility of the chair of each standing committee, ad hoc committee, special interest group, and task force to submit an annual report, and any other reports as requested by the president, of its operations, its concerns, and any recommendations it might wish to make. Such reports shall be submitted to the Executive Committee through the office of the Secretary of the Society in a timely fashion, as requested by the Secretary, for each calendar year. Chairs of committees are also responsible for submitting budget requests to the Treasurer for consideration and inclusion in the preparation of the annual budget.

ARTICLE IX: REGIONAL NETWORKS

A. The Executive Committee, by majority vote, may create regional networks of the Society. Such networks may be approved, provided that the request for the establishment of the network:

Is accompanied by a valid petition signed by at least 10 voting Fellows and Members of the Society;

Presents a proposed organizational outline and brief statement of goals;

Demonstrates that the focal interest of the regional network coincides with the mission of the Society itself.

B. All regional networks are financially independent from the Society.

C. Before approving any proposed regional network, the Executive Committee shall request that the materials supporting the request for the new regional network be reviewed by existing regional networks to determine whether the proposed regional network may be in conflict with, or duplicate, the programs of any existing regional network.

D. Once approved, regional networks of the Society shall be entitled to:

Create and elect their own governance structures;

Levy assessments on their members;

Hold meetings and conduct business insofar as such meetings or the conduct of such business do not conflict with the holding of meetings or the conduct of business of the Society;

Develop regional network program proposals for review by the Society’s Program Committee to include in the Society’s annual conference;

Publish an on-line newsletter and a directory of the section membership.

E. Although regional networks may publish newsletters and articles, no network may publish a journal.

F. Following the close of each year, regional networks shall forward to both the Regional Networks Committee Chair and the Secretary an annual report that describes the significant activities of the regional network for the past year and any proposals it might wish to make to the Society’s Executive Committee.

G. A regional network may be dissolved by:

A finding by the Secretary that the number of regional network members has declined below 10; or

An affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the voting members of the Executive Committee sustaining a resolution that the purposes or activities of a previously approved regional network have become inconsistent with the aims and purposes of the Society; or

A vote by a majority of the members of a regional network to so dissolve. Such vote shall be conducted in the same manner described for the conduct of the Society’s elections as described in Article V of these Bylaws;

ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS

A. In addition to those other instances outlined in these Bylaws, an amendment to these Bylaws may also be proposed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee or by a petition signed by seventy five (75) of the voting members of the Society presented to the Executive Committee.

B. The Executive Committee shall delegate to the Secretary the responsibility for certifying that the petition that accompanies the proposed bylaws change is in order and that its signatures are valid.

C. After an amendment has been reviewed by the Executive Committee, it shall be distributed via email or via some other means determined by the Executive Committee. Thirty (30) days after distribution, the voting period shall be closed and the ballots shall be counted. An affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3)of the voting members who have returned their ballots shall be required to ratify the proposed amendment, which shall go into effect immediately.

ARTICLE XI: CONFLICT OF INTEREST

A. Members of the Executive Committee, Standing and Ad Hoc Committees, Special Interest Groups, and Regional Networks, when conducting Society business, are responsible to address actual or perceived conflicts of interest. They are expected to be diligent in considering how their personal relationships, other professional obligations and relationships, and financial interests may affect or be perceived as affecting their work with the Society. If a conflict of interest arises and cannot be resolved in a way that expresses the primary interests of the Society, the person should recuse him or herself and not participate in decisions on that issue.